Lone Star Solitary is a series chronicling my 2021 Texas whitetail season. From permission pieces to the family farm; from 5-acre parcels to sections spanning hundreds of acres. These are the free-range destinations where I love to chase whitetails – no game fences, lodges, or fancy ranches. I’m not against these types of venues, mind you. I’ve hunted them many times and they hold great memories – I’m sure more will come. However, there is nothing quite like finding, securing, and hunting the “diamond in the rough” places throughout the local landscape. Free-range destinations that might just hold the next encounter with a mature buck.
A few basic things will define my treks this fall.
First, they will lead to only private land destinations that are close to home.
The public land hunting craze is definitely trending. There should be no surprise. After all, it’s challenging, rewarding, and takes hunters into incredibly wild spaces.
The hunts in the series will be on various private properties within the state of Texas.
Hunting private land can be challenging as well, requiring one to push the right buttons in order to put themselves in front of a remarkable buck. My journey will take me across county, not state lines. This series is not about traversing the far reaches of the backcountry in Jeremiah Johnson-like fashion. After all, it would take me a long time to get there and, well, I’ve misplaced my coonskin cap. Rather, it’s about navigating various types of private dirt in search of mature whitetails – in the “front country” if you will.
As the name suggests, this journey will be a solitary one. At most, an occasional second hunter may be involved, but if so, there will be a united front in terms of hunting methods, means, and philosophy. While I like deer camp as much as the next guy, I love hunting solo. The alone time scouting, hunting, and traveling to and from multiple venues is therapeutic. It’s a great time for strategizing, reflection, and self-examination. It also affords me control over how to enter and exit the deer woods, among other things. One man, one vote.
The hunts featured in the series will largely be done with a bow. While I also rifle hunt for a variety of reasons, bow hunting whitetails with my outdated Mathews Drenalin is by far my greatest passion and thus will be my predominant hunting method.
Lone Star Solitary will feature some of my victories, follies, and target bucks. It will show the ways I navigate these micro-adventures, including packing, traveling, eating, and sleeping. It will also highlight some of the gear I use and the simple DIY methods I employ. Yes, it has much to do with the preparedness, structure, and organization that make this roving whitetail life both fun and seamless.
While somewhat outdated, Lone Star Solitary will be presented via written articles and social media. I know, most hunters of the current age prefer more digital approaches such as videos and podcasts. Call me old-fashioned. I like to write.
What Lone Star Solitary is not; This series differs from a lot of mainstream stories and tactics taking place on public land. There will be no tag-drawing. All hunts will be nearby my home in Texas. Likewise, there will be no navigating around other hunters (hopefully), labeling my stands, or saddles dangling from trees. Most of Texas features trees unsuited for them.
Lone Star Solitary treks will be solo hunts on free-range private Texas properties.
Finally, you’ll find the Lone Star Solitary series to be an unapologetic account of the way many North American hunters get it done – on private land, with and without deer feeders, box blinds, ground blinds, and a variety of tree stand styles.
I hope you will follow along on our blog, as well as our social media channels.
First up, I will be hitting the road for my last summer scouting trip and partial camp setup. Stay tuned…
